If Your Church Has a Brand, Who’s Their God?
Church Being Run Like Apple? That’s a Problem....
Lets say the quiet part out loud: Some Churches are run like a business….not a Church (que Jesus running in with the whip).
But seriously.
Ever walked into a church and thought, “Wow… this feels impressive”—but not once thought, “God is holy”?
Everything looks absolutely stunning. Has all the bells and whistles. Checks all the boxes:
✔ Clean stage
✔ Perfect lighting
✔ Fonts doing whatever fonts do
✔ Everyone smiling like they were trained for it
✔ The sermon tight
✔ The worship flawless
✔ The whole thing running smoother than an iPhone launch
And yet… something’s missing. So what am I talking about?
Church fluff.
A lot of noise with very little weight…and we act surprised when the seats are empty.
People aren’t confused. They aren’t “deconstructing” because it’s trendy. And, they aren’t scared off by culture or politics. They just recognize performance when they see it—trust me, they want no part of it.
On the outside, everything shines. The building looks sharp. The staff is polished. The coffee is genuinely good. But once you sit with it for a bit, something feels off.
It’s shallow.
Not evil or malicious…..just carefully managed and emotionally safe. There’s no tension, cost, or call to die to yourself.
People don’t reject church because it’s demanding.
They walk away because it feels staged.
And nothing kills hunger for truth faster than watching it be played like a role on Sunday morning.
Scroll on. Let’s talk about it.
Related Article
Eden Didn’t Look Evil Either
The first temptation in the Bible wasn’t ugly. That’s important.
The forbidden fruit in Eden didn’t come wrapped in darkness. Scripture says it was pleasant to the eyes, good for food, and desirable to make one wise. It looked like an upgrade. Like progress. Like a smart move. Sound familiar?
Eve didn’t bite rebellion.
She bit presentation.
That’s how deception works. It doesn’t scream “Disobey God.”
It whispers, “This is better.”
Fast forward a few thousand years, and we’ve got churches doing the same thing. Repackaging obedience, softening truth, and making the gospel more…marketable.
Still Christian. Just shinier.
When the Church Starts Acting Like Apple
Apple doesn’t sell phones. They sell identity, belonging, and desire. The promise that your life will be better if you buy in.
That’s fine for tech.
It’s dangerous for the Church.
Because when a church starts prioritizing:
optics over obedience
vibes over repentance
branding over brokenness
You’re not shepherding souls anymore.
You’re managing perception.
And the scariest part? It works. For a while.
Gen Z Isn’t Leaving Jesus — They’re Leaving the Show
Here’s the thing nobody wants to admit.
Gen Z isn’t walking away from Jesus because He’s too demanding. They’re walking away because the Church feels fake. They can smell performance a mile away.
They grew up with filters, influencers, and algorithms. They know what curated looks like. And when they peek through the stained-glass windows and see Christians pretending instead of repenting, they don’t think, “I want that.”
They think, “If that’s Christianity, I’m good.”
Jesus doesn’t repel them — the hypocrisy does.
The Most Dangerous Christian Isn’t the Loud Sinner
This part will sting.
God doesn’t hate people—but He does hate hypocrisy. Jesus saved His harshest words for religious actors. Not pagans, outsiders, or pretenders.
Why?
Because a fake Christian does what the devil can’t.
The devil tempts from the outside.
A fake Christian poisons from the inside.
By playing church.
By wearing the label without the life.
By talking Jesus but living untouched.
They turn the world off to Christ without ever preaching a false sermon. People look at them and say:
“If that’s a Christian, I’m glad I’m not one.”
And hey — we’ve all been there (myself included) so this isn’t persecution. It’s indictment.
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Performance Can’t Replace Power
You can dim the lights, cue the bridge and tighten the transitions. But, you can’t manufacture conviction, script repentance, and brand the Holy Spirit.
The Church was never meant to look impressive.
It was meant to look alive.
Messy. Honest. Holy.
The early church never had a logo.
They had power.
But today? 👇
2 Timothy 3:5
“Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
A Hard Question Worth Asking
So yeah—if your church feels like Apple, that’s a problem.
Because the fruit in Eden looked good too.
And it still led to death.
The question isn’t, “Does this work?”
The question is, “Is this faithful?”
Because Jesus didn’t say the world would know us by our excellence.
He said they’d know us by our love—and love doesn’t fake it.
If the Church wants the next generation to listen again, it won’t be through better branding.
It’ll be through repentance, humility, and Christians who actually live like Jesus is real.
No filter, performance, or forbidden fruit.
Just truth.
Before You Scroll
If this hit a nerve, good. That usually means it matters. Share it. Talk about it. And ask yourself the same question you’re tempted to ask your church: Who’s really getting the glory here?
We’ll talk soon.
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Call to Repentance
If you’ve been trying to earn your way into heaven, it’s time to stop striving and start surrendering. Today can be the day everything changes.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Don’t wait for a better moment. Turn from your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and receive the gift of eternal life.
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